The NYPD plans to tighten up security around the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade after the recent shootings in Virginia and Colorado.
Also over the weekend, a man who allegedly threatened to attack a synagogue was arrested in New York’s Penn Station with a knife, a balaclava, a swastika patch on his arm and an associate, according to authorities.
Safety in NYC this Thanksgiving
Although there is no threat, the New York authorities prefer to prevent and protect the event which attracts thousands of spectators and participants every year.
- In light of these developments, police “will deploy additional resources to ensure that celebrations across the city are safe for all,” New York Police Department counterterrorism chief Martine Materasso said at a news conference. giant balloons from the parade.
- Authorities had no indication of “any active, credible or specific threat” to the event.
#InPhoto | This is how the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is prepared
- The security measures are almost as well known as the parade itself.
- At the event, there will be heavy weapons teams, explosive detection dogs, a bomb squad, radiological and chemical sensors, drone detection, sand trucks and block vehicles, and additional cameras on the course.
Macy’s Parade
Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette has promised the parade will be “bigger and better than ever,” so much so that it will start at 8:45 instead of 9:00 to welcome all the balloons, floats, bands bands, singers, cheerleaders, clowns, Broadway cast and Radio City Rockettes. And, of course, Santa Claus.
- New balloons this year include animated sensation ‘Bluey’, Stuart the one-eyed Minion from ‘Despicable Me 2’ and new green dinosaur balloons and ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’.
- The largest characters can measure up to 70 feet and have 50 handlers holding on to their strings, Matt Kaprielian, who supervises the balloons, said in an interview as they were being inflated.
